Transcript Political Parties in the United States

Political Parties in the
United States
Chapter 9, 10, 11 Notes
Components of a political
party
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A political party is a group of citizens who share
similar views and concerns on public issues
(platform), and how the government should
respond to these issues.
Joining a political party is a responsibility, and it
is voluntary.
Being a member of a political party gives a
citizen a vehicle to voice their concerns.
Reasons For Political
Parties
 It is the most reasonable and organized
way for a large group of people to express
common goals.
 It provides an avenue to select candidates
that will represent the party.
 It helps make the party’s candidate more
accountable to the members of the party.
Beginnings of Political
Parties In the US
 The first 2 parties in the US
were the Federalists and the
Anti-Federalists.
Federalists
The Federalists wanted to establish a
strong federal/national government.
They favored national laws over state laws.
 They were led by Alexander Hamilton.
 The wealthy aristocracy were the main
supporters of this party.
The Anti-federalists
 The Anti-Federalists wanted a national
government with limited power.
 They favored more state rights.
 They wanted individual freedoms included in the
Constitution.
 This party was led by Thomas Jefferson, and was
supported by the more common people.
 They would eventually form the democraticrepublicans which would form the democratic
Party.
Opposition to Political
Parties
President George Washington, in his
farewell address, warned against the
development of parties.
 He believed that different parties could
divide the new nation, and cause disunity
for our young nation.
He was right if you think of the Republicans
and the Democrats of today.
The Birth of Our Parties
Today
 The Democratic Party- Their symbol is the donkey.
 They formed in the 1820’s by a group called the “common
people”.
 The Democrats believed that the government was being
controlled by and for the wealthy.
 They believed that the little man did not have a voice in
government.
Democrats Continued…
 The Democrats also pushed for the removal of voting
restrictions.
 This would lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the
19th Amendment.
 This movement was started by Andrew Jackson, and he was
elected the first Democratic President in 1828.
 This period in American history became known as the
Jacksonian Democracy due to its appeal to the common man
The Republican Party
 Sometimes is called the GOP, or the Grand Old
Party.
 It was formed in the 1850’s by people who wanted
to abolish slavery.
 The movement was led by Abraham Lincoln who
became the first Republican president in 1860.
 Republicans tend to be conservative and more
traditional.
The Parties of 2007
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The Democrats believe that more federal
government control is needed to solve the
problems of the people.
They tend to be more liberal, or open minded
about major issues.
 This is their platform:
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They are pro-choice on abortion.
pro-gun control
For national healthcare.
They support same gender marriages.
They are against prayer in schools.
They are against tax cuts.
Democrats want equality for everyone in the US..
Parties of 2007
Continued…
 The Republicans feel that the national governments
role should be limited.
 They tend to be conservative and favor traditional values.
 This is their platform:
 They feel that the state and local government can better decide
what is better for its people than can the federal government.
 They are pro-life on abortion.
 They are against gun control.
 They support the death penalty.
 They are against same gender marriages.
 They are for prayer in schools.
 They tend to favor the rich over the poor (Opinions vary).
Advantages of the Two
Party System
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The parties are almost equal in strength.
There have been 15 Democratic Presidents and
18 Republican Presidents in our history.
Voters are presented with clear choices.
This system has been successful for over 150
years.
Political extremes are usually avoided. Most
candidates have to be more moderate in order
to win an election.
Third Parties
Single Issue Parties
Ideological Parties
Independent Parties
These parties try to get a message across
to voters.
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Third parties usually develop because of discontent
with the major parties.
No third party candidate has ever won a presidential
election.
They do influence who will win an election.
In recent years the most successful third party
candidate has been Jesse Ventura, who was elected
governor of Minnesota in 1998.
In 2000 the third party candidate, Ralph Nader of the
Green party took votes from the Democrat Al Gore.
This allowed the Republican George W. Bush to win
the election. The final numbers were Bush 50%, Gore
50% and Nader 1%.
Organizing Political
Parties
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National Committee- Each party has a national
committee, led by a national chairperson.
Their purpose is to give candidates exposure.
They also assist in fundraising to pay for
campaigns.
National Convention- Each party holds a
national convention in August, before the
November election. Each state sends delegates
to the convention.
Selecting a Candidate
 At the national convention the party selects a
candidate that will represent them.
 The candidate supports and pushes the party
platform if they are elected president.
 The presidential nominee, then selects a running
mate for vice-president.
 The two running mates will represent the party in
the November election.
Plank v. Platform
 The party has a platform. The platform is
the parties stance on major issues. This
platform is what attracts people to the
party.
 A plank is an individual issue like
abortion, or gun control. All of the planks
form the parties platform.
Campaign Financing
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It comes from 3 sources.
 65% of financing comes from public
funds. The Campaign Act of 1976 allows each
taxpayer to contribute 3 dollars of their tax
refund to the President’s re-election fund.
 10% comes from private donations. Each
citizen is limited to 2000 dollars a candidate.
 25% come from Political Action
Committees. PAC’s may contribute up to 5000
dollars per candidate
Influencing Government
 Interest Groups- Are groups of people that share the
same ideas on particular issues. Examples are PETA,
MADD, NRA, NAACP, and the AARP.
 These groups try to influence Congress to pass legislation
that favors of their opinion.
 PAC’S- Political Action Committees, are the politically
active part of an interest group.
 Lobbyists- PAC’S hire people to go to Washington to try
to influence law makers. These people are called
lobbyists, and the lobby Congress.
 Usually the group with the most money has the greatest
influence.
Soft vs. Hard Money
 Soft Money- is money donated to a political party.
There is no limit on the amount of soft money that
can be donated. This is a loop hole for big lobby
groups to donate tons of money to influence the
government.
 Hard Money- is money that is donated to an
individual candidate. Individuals are limited to
1000 dollars a year, while PAC’s can donate 5000
per candidate.
Voting
Qualifications
 You must be 18 years old.
 You must be a US citizen.
 You must be registered in the state that
you are voting in. In North Carolina, you
must be registered at least 30 days
before the election.
 States control their own voting laws.
Voting Stipulations
 According to the Voting Rights Act of
1965, no special conditions or
requirements can be placed on voting
(tests or the ability to read or write).
 There are exclusions, people in prisons,
people in mental hospitals, and people
who are not citizens may not vote in
elections.
Primary Elections
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These are elections held several months prior to
the general election in November.
The purpose is to select a candidate to
represent the party in November.
Republicans face off against Republicans, and
Democrats fight against each other.
They are like the playoffs in football or the
brackets during march madness.
The winner of each primary face each other in
the Super bowl.
Open vs. Closed
Primaries
 A Closed Primary- Voters can only vote for candidates in
their own party.
 Independent voters may not vote in a closed primary.
 In NC we have a closed primary.
 Our primary is held on the first Tuesday in May.
 This keeps one party from influencing the other party.
 An Open Primary- Voters can vote for a candidate from
any party.
 Independents are allowed to vote in an open primary.
General Elections
 The general election is held on the first
Tuesday after the first Monday in
November.
 This is the election that determines who
will sit in office.
Voting Terms
Locally Cabarrus County is divided into
voting districts or precincts. When a voter
registers, they are assigned to the nearest
precinct to their house. Most polling places
are located in schools.
Ballot- this is the voting form which lists
the candidates and their party. This is a
secret ballot. It is known as the Australian
ballot.
In Cabarrus County we use a punch ballot.
Straight vs. Split Tickets
You can vote with either a split ticket, or a
straight ticket.
 With a split ticket you vote for the
candidate regardless of their party.
You vote based on the quality of the
candidate
 On a straight ticket you vote for a party not
a candidate. Usually either Republican or
Democrat.
You vote a straight ticket if you only care
about the party not the individual candidate.
Selecting the President
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The president is elected indirectly.
We vote for electors who go and elect the
President.
This is called the Electoral College.
It is a winner takes all system.
When you vote, your vote is called a popular
vote.
Whichever candidate wins the majority of the
popular votes, wins all of the electoral votes for
that state.
Electoral votes vary for each state.
Electoral College
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 The number of electoral votes per state is determined by
that states representation in Congress (Representatives+
Senators).
 The larger the state population, the more votes that state
gets.
 North Carolina has 15 electoral votes.
 California has the most with 54 electoral votes.
 Winning Total- There is a total of 538 electoral votes.
 A candidate must receive at least 270 electoral votes to
win the election.
 If a candidate does not receive 270 or more electoral votes,
then the House of Representatives selects the President.
Special Types of
Elections
 Recall election- this is done when constituents are
upset with an incumbent. They can vote to recall
that person (Arnold).
 Run-off election- this is when there are 3 or more
candidates and none of them reach a majority.
The top two vote getters face off against each
other to see who will win. This is usually done in
primary elections.
Majority vs. Plurality
Majority- is when a candidate receives over
50 percent of the vote.
Plurality- is when a candidate wins an
election but does not receive a majority of
the votes.
Referendum vs.
Initiative
Referendum- is when a government
legislative branch places an proposition on
a ballot for the voters to approve or reject.
Initiative- is when the people start a
petition in order to get a proposition
placed on a ballot for approval or
rejection.
Public Opinion
Polls- Are surveys intended to find out the
public’s ideas on key issues.
Direction- indicates whether an issue is positive
or negative.
Intensity- indicates how strong the issue is with
people.
Stability- indicates how long the issue has been
around in the media.
 Remember, sometimes questions can be asked a
certain way to be biased one way or another.
Propaganda
Propaganda is used to try to
influence American voters to vote
for a candidate.
It is also used by interest groups
to try to sway public opinion in
their favor.
Propaganda Techniques
Just Plain Folks- using regular people in ads to
influence viewers.
Glittering Generalities- using general statements
to mislead voters.
Bandwagon- tell people that we are all doing it
so should you (peer pressure).
Endorsements- getting celebrities to endorse
your issue.
Symbols- using symbols such as flags to influence
public opinion.
Name Calling- Don’t vote for him he is terrible.
Stacked Cards- giving misleading statistics to
influence public opinion.